C15 – Goodbye
“Sigh, there’s no point in keeping secrets now. Here’s the situation...” Min Qi began to unravel the story.
The Jee family had been expanding their influence in Whalespell through various means. At first, Min Qi hadn’t paid much attention to it, assuming that as newcomers, the Jee family wouldn’t dare to challenge Min’s mansion head-on. But he hadn’t anticipated their alliance with the Guo family, which resulted in nearly half of Min’s mansion’s enterprises being eroded away. Guo Tao’s status as an outer sect disciple of the Fang Sect was also a maneuver by the Jee family.
Min Qi’s primary goal in visiting Steelgrave was to negotiate with the Jee family patriarch for the survival of Min’s mansion. To his shock, he was met with violence instead of dialogue and was thrown out as soon as he stated his intentions.
“Damn the Guo family for their lowly tactics. Once they’ve finished with us, they’ll be next. Can’t they see the consequences?” Min Zhenkang spat bitterly.
“That’s uncertain. Our immediate concern should be safeguarding what’s left of our family’s assets.”
“Father, does the Jee family have a Second Young Master named Jee Gong?”
“Yes, they do. Why do you ask?”
“Oh, just curious,” Min Zhenkang mused, thinking how fate seemed to bring adversaries together.
“Tomorrow morning, I’ll take you both to meet the City Lord of Steelgrave. If either of you can win his favor, we might yet preserve the Min family’s holdings. Otherwise, we’ll have to consider relocating, and the Min family will cease to exist in Whalespell.”
“Father, rest assured, I won’t let our family come to such an end. Please focus on your recovery; I’ll excuse myself now.” With that, Min Zhenkang exited the room.
Back in his own quarters, Min Zhenkang reflected on the martial skills he could practice. The most advanced technique in the Min family was a mere Low Grade Profound Rank skill, zealously safeguarded as the family’s heirloom. Currently, only Min Qi, his brothers, and their still-living father were entitled to learn it.
Min Zhenkang’s mind was a treasure trove of cultivation methods and martial arts techniques, including several of the esteemed Sky Level and a myriad of Earth and Profound Rank methods.
“Illusionary Speed, Thousand Buddha Palm, Monkey God Staff Technique, Shadow Sword Style,” he quickly identified four martial arts suitable for his current training.
However, to practice the Monkey God Staff Technique and Shadow Sword Style, he needed the right weapons. With his hands empty for now, Min Zhenkang decided to set aside these two techniques and focus on mastering Illusionary Speed and Thousand Buddha Palm first.
Illusionary Speed was a low-grade Profound Rank martial skill. The Swift Wind Speed he previously practiced was no longer effective at his current level, so he turned his attention to Illusionary Speed.
Thousand Buddha Palm, another low-grade Profound Rank skill, could unleash formidable power when combined with Illusionary Speed, far beyond the simple sum of their parts.
Having made his selection, Min Zhenkang began to diligently rehearse the techniques in his mind. The inn was hardly the ideal place for physical practice, but there was no need for that; these were techniques he had mastered in a past life. Now, it was merely a matter of refreshing his memory.
Once he had reacquainted himself with the martial arts, Min Zhenkang retrieved the Nine Dragons Cauldron and the medicinal herbs he had recently purchased. This time, he had procured all the ingredients necessary to concoct second-grade Pills, which had promptly turned him into a pauper.
He took a moment to set up protective measures, fine-tuning the space around the Nine Dragons Cauldron to ensure that neither the heat of the flames nor the noise of the pill refining process would escape.
With a soft puff, a flame sprang to life at Min Zhenkang’s fingertips, warming the room.
Embarking on his first pill refinement since acquiring the Sun Devouring Demonic Fire, he nonchalantly cast the fiery essence into the Nine Dragons Cauldron. Inside, the cauldron stirred to life as nine fire dragons swirled around the Sun Devouring Tiger, born from the Sun Devouring Demonic Fire, igniting a spectacular “dragon-tiger” clash.
Min Zhenkang nonchalantly tossed all the herbs scattered on the floor into the Nine Dragons Cauldron and set about the delicate process of pill refinement.
Meanwhile, outside, the scene was bustling with activity.
A punch sent Grandfather Xi Er flying, failing to prevent the other man from reaching for Xi Er.
“Grandfather!” Xi Er dashed to his side as he was knocked away.
“Cough, cough—” Grandfather Xi Er spat out a mouthful of blood.
“Grandfather, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have rashly provoked Jee Gong. Sob, sob, sob—” Xi Er wept with guilt.
“Child, it’s alright. I don’t mind anymore. I just feel sorry for you, my dear girl. Cough, cough—” Grandfather Xi Er comforted her, his voice filled with tenderness amidst the pain.
“Old timer, you go on ahead. Your granddaughter will be here to find you in no time.” With those words, he hoisted Grandfather Jie’er up and tossed him out the window.
At that moment, Min Zhenkang had just finished concocting the Pill and stowed the Nine Dragons Cauldron when he heard a commotion outside. Opening the door, he caught sight of a burly man hurling Grandfather Jie’er out.
“Stop right there!” Min Zhenkang shouted, noticing another man approaching Jie’er with clear ill intent, and quickly intervened.
“Who’s this foolhardy kid? Do you even know whose business you’re meddling in? This concerns the Second Young Master of the Jee family. You dare to interfere?”
Min Zhenkang hadn’t noticed Jee Gong standing nearby, but now it was clear he was in for a confrontation.
“What’s the Second Young Master of the Jee family to me? I might as well be the Emperor of Heaven himself.” Aware of Jee Gong’s pettiness, Min Zhenkang didn’t hold back in his insults.
The onlookers were inwardly cheering; the Jee family had been throwing their weight around in Steelgrave for years, and at last, someone was standing up to them. They just hoped this young man was not all talk and no action.
“You’re asking for it, you bastard.” The burly man, enraged by Min Zhenkang’s disrespect towards his master, threw a punch at him.
“Thousand Buddha Palm,” Min Zhenkang silently invoked, meeting the oncoming punch head-on.
Bang~
Thud, thud, thud~
Min Zhenkang staggered back five steps, while the burly man was pushed back three.
“Not bad, kid, you’ve got some guts. Let’s go again.” The burly man, a fifth-level Martial Spirit, was taken aback by being repelled by a mere youth, which was a blow to his pride.
Yet, he couldn’t discern the young man’s level of cultivation, suspecting he might be using a technique or possessing an artifact that concealed it.
“Who was it that threw this elder out the window just now?” A group approached from downstairs, and among them was an old man – none other than Grandfather Jie’er, who had been tossed out by the burly man earlier.
Tang Tian had just completed his mission and was on horseback, approaching a window when, suddenly, a person flew out right above him. Reacting swiftly, Tang Tian used his whip to ensnare the elder, preventing him from crashing onto him or having an unpleasant encounter with the ground. Consequently, he brought the man up with him.
“Grandpa!” Xi Er, relieved to see his grandfather alive, hurried over to help him.
“Now things are getting interesting. Let’s see how Jee Gong manages to wrap this up,” the onlookers murmured with barely concealed amusement as they watched the newcomer approach.
“Li-er, what brings you here? My subordinate was thoughtless and accidentally pushed this old man down. I was just disciplining him,” Jee Gong rushed over, oozing insincerity as he fawned over Tang Tian, “Old sir, are you alright?” He then turned to Grandpa Xi Er, feigning concern.
It was common knowledge in Steelgrave that Jee Gong fancied Tang Tian, and equally well-known was Tang Tian’s aversion to Jee Gong. Bound by the constraints of social status, Jee Gong never dared to be forceful, so he always put on this sycophantic display whenever he encountered Tang Tian.